The recent surge in anti-Israel demonstrations on college campuses Dakota Access Pipeline Protests 2016. Like many campus protests, the pipeline protests were funded and fueled by large outside groups that showed little concern for the harmful effects of their actions.
now, Litigation Being asked This summer is planned to hold some of these groups accountable for their actions. Energy Transfer, the owner and operator of the pipeline, Sue Greenpeace The company has sought $300 million in damages from other agitators for damages the company suffered as a result of the protests. Litigation claims These environmental activists spent months spreading false information about the pipeline and funding out-of-state agitators who attacked law enforcement and destroyed property during protests.
Regarding the North Dakota controversy: In the lawsuit Greenpeace's misinformation campaign began with a mass email campaign falsely claiming that the Dakota Access Pipeline would cross the territory of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, destroy “sacred Native American lands,” and be approved without proper environmental review. (Related article: David Blackmon: Biden-Harris Administration's energy policy is a mess, and Kamala Harris is fully to blame)
Energy Transfer says none of Greenpeace's claims are accurate. The pipeline Does not intersect The proposed route was amended in 140 ways to avoid potentially violating Standing Rock land and affecting culturally significant sites. An independent review by the North Dakota State Historic Preservation Office later concluded that the proposed route was not intended to violate Standing Rock land or affect culturally significant sites. Conclusion The pipeline did not affect any historic buildings.
A demonstration against the Dakota Access Pipeline takes place in Washington, DC, on March 10, 2017. Thousands of protesters and Native American members demonstrated in Washington, DC to oppose the proposed construction of the 1,172 Dakota Access Pipeline, which runs within a half-mile of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Additionally, the pipeline was approved after multiple environmental studies and reviews were conducted over several years. Because other modes of transportation, such as rail, trucks, and barges, are more likely to experience spills and leaks, the pipeline can play a key role in improving environmental outcomes.
The lawsuit alleges that lies spread by Greenpeace drew thousands of protesters to North Dakota, where a large encampment quickly formed. (Related: New study from environmental groups questions rationale behind Biden's biggest crackdown yet on key energy sector)
Energy Transfer alleges that Greenpeace also helped provide approximately $500,000 in funding and additional training to a separate protest group tasked with using violence to block or slow the pipeline's construction. Greenpeace continues to support these efforts, allegedly organizing fundraisers in 10 cities to collect supplies for Red Warrior Society members. The lawsuit alleges that in November 2016, members of the camp stormed Energy Transfer property, setting fires, and attacking police with grenades and flares.
In the protests' aftermath, lawsuits allege that Greenpeace and its allies made millions of dollars from the protests and their publicity. Meanwhile, North Dakotans Leave the bill The move comes after the Dakota Access Pipeline was completed, but Energy Transfer claims it has lost millions of dollars due to destruction of equipment, security costs and delays to the project. (Related article: Vijay Jayaraj: World's most populous country abandons solar power. Other countries should follow suit)
“Energy Transfer's lawsuit seeks to hold Greenpeace and other groups accountable for these alleged actions. Protesters and the groups that fund them have rights, but so do the individuals and companies they unfairly slander and attack. This case should serve as an important reminder for organizations and protesters that while free speech is protected by the Constitution, inciting or funding violence is not.”
David Blackmon is a Texas-based energy writer and consultant who worked in the oil and gas industry for 40 years and specializes in public policy and communications.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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